I am currently a graduate student in the Department of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College. I research on the interplay between clay minerals and heterotrophic bacteria in the surface ocean; to understand its implications on the organo-microbial interactions, trace metal cycling and ultimately its implications on the carbon sequestration efficiency of the Biological Carbon Pump. I delve into this intricate relationship through a diverse methodological toolbox, encompassing microscopy, spectrophotometry, and mass spectrometry